Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service offers advice to residents after London tower block fire

Louise Cooper

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is providing advice and reassurance to people who are concerned about fire safety following this morning’s fire at Grenfell Tower in London.

Area Manager Alex Johnson who is responsible for community safety in Derbyshire said: “We are truly devastated to hear of the fire at Grenfell Tower and our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy and also our emergency service colleagues dealing with such a devastating and complex incident.

“It would be wrong to speculate about the cause of the fire until a full investigation has been carried out.

“Thankfully fires of this type are rare, however such an incident does cause alarm and raise concerns with people living in similar buildings.

“High-rise buildings are designed to resist fire, stop the spread of smoke and provide a safe means of escape. Most fires don’t spread more than one or two rooms.

“I would like to assure everybody that Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service carries out regular inspections of blocks of flats, including Rivermead House, the only high-rise building in Derbyshire, owned and managed by Derby City Council and Derby Homes, which fully complies with current fire safety regulations.

“It is essential that people know what to do in the event of a fire so that they can protect themselves and their families. This is particularly important for the more vulnerable members of our communities, such as the over 60’s and people with mobility issues.”

Advice

Blocks of flats will have their own fire plan and occupants should make themselves aware of the specific advice that relates to the building in which they live.

If there is a fire inside your flat the fire service's advice is to alert all the people in your flat and leave, closing doors behind you.

You should follow your escape plan and if there is lots of smoke, crawl along the floor where the air should be clearer. Always use the stairs rather than the lift and call 999 as soon as you are in a safe place.

If there is a fire elsewhere in the building, then the structure of your flat – walls, floors and doors are designed to give you a minimum of 30-60 minutes’ protection from a fire.

If there is a fire in your building, but not inside your own home, then you are usually safer to say in your flat unless the heat or smoke from the fire is affecting you.

If you stay put, you should still call 999.

For more fire safety advice and information visit ww.derbys-fire.gov.uk